Training camp blog 2023: Rocky Long’s impact in 1st year with Syracuse
Syracuse football training camp opened Wednesday, Aug. 2. The Daily Orange beat writer Henry O’Brien will keep a running tab of updates from each practice this summer before SU’s first game against Colgate on Sept. 2. Follow along here and on X @DOsports.
Aug. 23
At almost every point of camp, Syracuse defensive coordinator Rocky Long stands at the middle of the turf practice field and watches over his defense. Everyday Long has worn a bright orange Syracuse hat and always can be identified. Both Long and head coach Dino Babers have a similar method of observing players during the media viewing period.
Long will move around from position group to position group. He sees how hard the defensive line tackles each other, what type of footwork cornerbacks are working on or where on the field the safeties are surveying. SU’s newest defensive coordinator, the program’s fourth during Babers’ tenure, will only watch, staying mostly quiet during the proceedings.
“He will yell here and there,” defensive lineman Terry Lockett said. “But he’s more of an older guy, he doesn’t have to yell.”
But Long is also the linebackers coach for the Orange and will spend time with that group. When the linebackers had to face running backs in one-on-one coverage matchups, Long watched the whole time. When Mekhi Mason missed a tackle during the drill, Long came over to him and explained how those missed tackles add up to half yard gains. Marlowe Wax said last week that even though Long may not be around as much as other position coaches, the defensive coordinator has been helpful and will be able to dissect his game later in the season.
Wax said that while Long and former defensive coordinator Tony White had the same 3-3-5 defensive formation (Long taught the defense to White while the two were at New Mexico and San Diego State), the terminology has changed and the defense has adapted to it.
Long, the originator of the 3-3-5 defense, has adapted to various environments over half a century of coaching experience. He’s coached both the Lobos and Aztecs for a combined 20 seasons and has been a defensive coordinator at schools like UCLA, Oregon State and Wyoming. Wax and fellow linebacker Derek McDonald have shown a willingness to pick his brain about defenses, and they are anticipating a chance to break down their games.
“He’s the guy who taught coach White how this defense goes,” McDonald said of Long. “He’s kind of a guru or just a super wise football mind.”
But as the new coordinator breaks down players’ strengths and weaknesses during practice, Long showed a preference to pull players aside to talk to them. In 11-on-11s, Long went to redshirt junior linebacker Khalib Gilmore and talked to him after he finished a play in the team drill. When he wasn’t giving advice, Long would stand on the sideline next to linemen like Caleb Okechukwu or transfer Braylen Ingraham.
He’s a sharp contrast to SU defensive line coach Chris Achuff, who always can be heard screaming at the tops of his lungs at a defensive end or tackle. McDonald said that there is no one comparable to Achuff, but Long can easily get angered.
“Most of the time, he’s calm,” McDonald said with a smile. “But he definitely gets worked up every once in a while.”
Aug. 22
With quarterback Garrett Shrader being a full participant in Syracuse’s second scrimmage of training camp, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson will be assured a spot on the sidelines in week one against Colgate. It’s a role that Del Rio-Wilson played most of last season. Still, SU’s backup feels he made plenty of progress over the past offseason.
Del Rio-Wilson, who transferred from Florida in 2022, made seven appearances last season and got his first collegiate start against Pittsburgh. In those seven games, Del Rio-Wilson threw more interceptions than touchdowns and had a completion percentage of 43%. But in the spring, as Shrader recovered from elbow surgery, Del Rio-Wilson got the first-team snaps.
Over the offseason, Del Rio-Wilson trained with former SU quarterback Charley Loeb in Atlanta. Del Rio-Wilson said that he actually didn’t know for the first week of training that Loeb was a former Syracuse quarterback. He felt the biggest aspect he learned about his game was knowing what specifically went wrong on a throw he missed.
“Charley is a great guy,” Del Rio-Wilson said. “I definitely feel like that’s one of the best quarterback coaches that I have ever trained with.”
Even during Tuesday’s practice, that was in full effect. During 11-on-11s, linebacker Mekhi Mason swatted one of Del Rio-Wilson’s throws immediately. After the blocked pass, Del Rio-Wilson stood still and went through a throwing motion all over again before taking the next snap.
Once Shrader returned on his “pitch count,” Del Rio-Wilson was again in the backup position. During 11-on-11s in the media viewing period, Shrader got the first few reps, before the backup took his place. While Braden Davis or Luke MacPhail practiced with other position groups, Del Rio-Wilson stood right beside Shrader each and every day of training camp.
“He’s getting better and he’s starting to hit those deep balls. Now he’s scoring some touchdowns,” Shrader said.
In the 11-on-11s during Tuesday’s practice, Del Rio-Wilson showed off his tight and quick passes. With the defensive line applying a little pressure on him, Del Rio-Wilson fired off a bullet to freshman receiver Darrell Gill Jr. On the next play, the backup threw a slant to another freshman, Bryce Cohoon. When the quarterbacks just worked with the wide receivers, Del-Rio Wilson started to throw screen passes to top pass catchers Damien Alford and D’Marcus Adams.
“I will say one thing playing a role in my comfortability is just knowing the offense, knowing that those other 10 guys around you got your back, knowing that they complete their assignments and knowing that you’ll complete yours,” Del Rio-Wilson said.
Aug. 18
For most of training camp, linebacker Stefon Thompson had been wearing a green jersey, representing his injury status. Thompson suffered a lower-body injury in the opening game of the 2022 season against Louisville and missed the entire year. But today, Thompson wore a white jersey, the same color as all other healthy Syracuse defenders. Fellow linebacker Marlowe Wax said he’s happy to have a player with the talent of Thompson back on the field.
During the 11-on-11s at the end of the media viewing period, though, Thompson watched as Wax, Leon Lowery and Derek McDonald served as the starting linebackers. Still, Thompson is recuperating and getting back to being the player who recorded six sacks in 2021. With Wax and Thompson both healthy, along with experienced starters in McDonald and Lowery, the linebacking unit looks to be deeper within Rocky Long’s 3-3-5 defense.
In the 11-on-11s, Wax, Lowery and McDonald weren’t involved in the splashy plays that garner attention from the sidelines or team social media videos. They weren’t making pass breakups like the defensive backs and they typically weren’t rushing quarterback Garrett Shrader. Wax said that the linebackers would stay more focused on their footwork and playing back in coverage.
While the defensive line would tackle each other ferociously, the linebackers worked on moving their feet for most of the media viewing period. Wax and the other players in his position group took part in catching and tackling drills with the entire defense. During the catching drill, four coaches threw passes to defenders and the junior linebacker would sometimes be the only one among the four players that caught the ball.
“I feel like it developed a lot since I got here,” Wax said of his coverage skills. “I definitely feel like a great coverage linebacker and it just will keep on developing as I come to work every single day.”
Some of the other younger linebackers, who have impressed Wax so far, also started to make some catches. Sophomore Mekhi Mason made quick passes even though Long started to chastise defensive linemen for not making receptions.
Once that part of practice was over, Wax took on the Orange’s top running backs like LeQuint Allen and Juwuan Price in one-on-one drills. Following Wax, Thompson took on Price and almost made a one-handed interception against quarterback Braden Davis, who was throwing passes for this drill. McDonald, who took on Ike Daniels in the drill, picked off Davis, while Lowery took on lineman-turned-fullback Elijah Wright.
Long, who also serves as the position coach for the linebackers, watched most of these one-on-ones. But he usually didn’t spend as much time with the linebackers as other position coaches would. Being the defensive coordinator, Long moved around the practice field, observing and offering commentary to the defensive line and the defensive backs. Still, Wax feels that Long has been helpful and will be able to dissect the junior’s game further once the season begins.
“We all know he’s seen a lot of football,” Wax said. “So I’m happy just to pick his brain and just talk about different things.”
Aug. 16
After being away from Syracuse football for most of training camp, running back LeQuint Allen returned to the team this week. The media got an initial look at Allen yesterday during the first viewing period of the week, but he also participated in the team’s first scrimmage last Saturday. Almost immediately, Allen took first-team reps in all of the running back drills and earned high praise from players and coaches alike.
“LeQuint is a part of us. He’s a part of the family,” Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said on Tuesday. “Like I said earlier, everybody needs grace and forgiveness. Where would we be without it?”
Allen got suspended through the end of the fall semester for his role in a December 2021 fight involving another Syracuse student. On June 26, he filed a lawsuit against the university to have the suspension reversed. And then on July 12, he reached an agreement with SU to end the scrutinized suspension.
“(It’s) good to be back with the teammates, seeing guys fly around,” Allen said. “I just came back with a helmet and got those practices in. Now I’m back today with shoulder pads and stuff. So definitely good to be back.”
The sophomore tailback went through the drills that fellow members of his position group had been taking part in all camp. He felt that he was able to easily slide back into the offensive rotation. Allen took screen passes from both quarterbacks Garrett Shrader and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. The running backs also received passes from backup quarterback Luke MacPhail while facing coverage from defenders.
Allen has utilized his footwork to make himself the heir apparent to Sean Tucker. In the 59-0 blowout win over Wagner last October, Allen rushed for 112 yards on just four attempts, including a 90-yard run and a touchdown. In the Pinstripe Bowl against Minnesota, Allen started in place of Tucker and rushed for 94 yards.
“That’s awesome,” Shrader said of Allen’s return. “He’s a hard worker and he definitely gets guys excited.”
Tight end Oronde Gadsden II said the offense’s tempo has been completely different because of Allen’s return. Since the Orange like to move fast, they’re quicker with Allen back in the lineup, Gadsden said. Shrader said he feels the offense has been improving, but the quarterback also acknowledged there was a different level of intensity with Allen on the field.
Near the end of the media viewing period, Allen got first-team reps and Shrader started to speed the offense up more. On the first play of 11-on-11s, Allen stood right next to Shrader and got a handoff, which he took toward the right sideline. Allen blocked for the next few plays before Juwuan Price and freshman Ike Daniels got their turn. Once SU’s probable starter came back in, he ran a wheel route and made a leaping catch on a throw from Shrader, causing the offensive sideline to burst into cheers.
Allen said he has felt the support of his teammates since his return and found that getting back into the groove was special. Over the past few months, the running back has learned to be patient.
“Everything doesn’t always go your way,” Allen said. “Just focus and it’ll get better.”
Aug. 15
With the rain pouring down during the media viewing period, Syracuse wide receiver Donovan Brown said there were too many passes being dropped. Then, he bobbled two deep passes.
Trying to find a viable No. 2 receiving option behind tight end Oronde Gadsden has been one of the key questions for the Syracuse offense entering this season. Gadsden led the Orange with 975 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2022. The next best receiver was Devaughn Cooper, who tallied 490 receiving yards and three scores. Among returning pass catchers other than Gadsden, Damien Alford ranks best with 429 yards and two touchdowns.
“I would love to find a number two, I think a lot of guys are battling for that position,” SU head coach Dino Babers said. “And when there’s a No. 2, then you would want to know who the No. 3 is and the No. 4 is.”
Babers noted receivers Kendall Long, Alford, Isaiah Jones and D’Marcus Adams as members that could be the No. 2 guy. Babers said that there were some great plays made by the wide receivers during Syracuse’s first scrimmage on Saturday. Long received first-team reps with the SU offense during today’s 11-on-11 drill along with Jones and shared words with cornerback Jalil Martin.
Jones, whose 2022 season ended on Sep. 17 after sustaining an upper-body injury against Purdue, made a catch on the right sideline on a pass in the 11-on-11. Jones has been trying to find a groove throughout spring and summer training.
“With something like this, you just can’t let it affect you,” Jones said of his injury. “You just got to keep moving on, be consistent with your jug catches, your footwork, agility. Everything that you need to do as a receiver, even blocking.”
Experienced receivers like Umari Hatcher and Alford didn’t get to separate themselves in practice today, however. Hatcher was at practice, but was in sweatpants and wearing a backpack. Babers said that Hatcher suffered an “owie.”
Meanwhile, Alford practiced but left the one-on-one drill with defensive backs early, in pain and covering his left eye. Babers later confirmed at the noon press conference that Alford’s eye was fine.
The conversation on SU’s receivers, though, still begins with Gadsden. Along with Jones and Long, Gadsden was taking reps at his typically untypical Y-flex position during 11-on-11s. He beat Bralyn Oliver in the one-on-one drills and caught deep passes against Alijah Clark.
Justin Barron gave Gadsden a rare challenge. On a throw from quarterback Garrett Shrader, Gadsden missed an underthrown ball. But Barron’s tight coverage didn’t trouble Babers.
“We’ve been working on it since the day the season ended,” Babers said of Gadsden working on catching passes against double teams. “Oronde has been working on it since the day the season ended and we’re looking forward to attacking those double teams.”
Aug. 11
Syracuse men’s basketball center John Bol Ajak stopped by football training camp early Friday morning and caught up with some of the players on the team. While the Orange took part in the 11-on-11 drill, Ajak stood on the defensive sideline, chatting with players and dancing to songs like “Set It Off” by Lil Boosie and “FAR” by Gunna.
“He’s one of my friends,” Justin Barron said of Ajak. “When I first got here, he was one of the first guys I met.”
But when Barron wasn’t commanding the middle of the field, he spent his time on the sidelines on one knee watching over the defense or talking with Ajak. Barron, who started 12 games last season as Syracuse’s rover, has become one of the most vocal players in the defensive backs room. He said that as a rover he had to be vocal, but now with Garrett Williams in the NFL, he speaks up much more.
While SU also lost defensive backs Duce Chestnut and Ja’Had Carter to the transfer portal, the Orange still kept key pieces like Barron and redshirt senior Isaiah Johnson. Johnson, who transferred to Syracuse from Dartmouth following the 2021 season, recorded 53 tackles, a pass breakup and an interception in 2022.
When the defensive backs were taking part in one-on-one drills against wide receivers, Johnson displayed his physicality against experienced pass catcher Damien Alford. Johnson tackled Alford hard into the grass, popping the ball loose. As a self-described “long defensive back,” Johnson said he focused on playing with lower leverage during the summer to improve on his man-to-man coverage. And with cornerbacks coach Travis Fisher, Johnson feels receptive to change in his game.
“I’m getting better,” Johnson said. “There’s some things that I want to clean up. But technique-wise, Coach Fisher is a technician He played nine years in the league, so he really knows what he’s talking about.”
Before Johnson and his fellow defensive backs could take on the wide receivers, though, they acted like wide receivers during drills. Fisher and his assistants divided the unit into two groups for most of the media viewing period. The first group, which featured rovers and safeties like Barron and Jason Simmons Jr., took part in receiving drills, catching long passes from the coaches. In the second group, which included cornerbacks Johnson and Jeremiah Wilson, worked on footwork and staying tight on wide receivers in coverage.
Later, all the defensive backs worked on drills where they slapped each other’s hands out of the way, similar to how receivers and defensive back would during games. As the unit used their footwork and slapped each other’s hands, most of the safeties and corners seemed in sync. Barron said the cohesion amongst the group was stronger more than at any point during his tenure at SU.
“We’re coming together as a group,” Barron said. “As in years past, we’d like to say that we have but this year more so than ever. We’re really becoming one.”
Aug. 9
Dino Babers watched Syracuse’s running backs with disgust yesterday. He stopped a drill to loudly give them a piece of his mind before stomping away.
“They need to understand that they just stepped up a level in competition, and they need to raise their expectations and raise their efforts in order for them to survive,” Babers said of the position group’s performance on Tuesday.
Redshirt junior running back Juwaun Price said that’s just how Babers is and he wants the Orange head coach to continue to do that. Price noted that because of the history of great running backs who have come through SU, the expectations can always be raised higher. Babers still watched over the running backs at today’s practice and offered the group some input, but nowhere near as much as yesterday.
Just as noticeable as Babers coaching up the running backs was the lack of the some of the rushers who have defined the position group for the past two seasons. Sean Tucker signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. LeQuint Allen remains away from the team despite reaching an agreement with SU to end a suspension.
“I’m not going to get into his business, but it does suck,” Price said about Allen’s absence.
For now, Price is trying to “stay the course” as he has been getting more and more first-team reps. During drills with the whole Syracuse offense, Price stood alongside Garrett Shrader, receiving handoffs and getting dump-off passes from the Orange’s starting quarterback.
Price also made some catches during 11-on-11s, hauling in a pass from Shrader before breaking away from sophomore cornerback Jeremiah Wilson down the right sideline.
Price has had experience being a featured back in an offense. As a redshirt freshman at New Mexico State in 2021, Price ran the ball 135 times for 692 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. But with Tucker and Allen in front of him on the depth chart, Price finished last season with just eight carries for 39 yards. He primarily worked with special teams.
“I have a lot of experience,” Price said. “But I feel like getting as many reps as I have been getting has been helping. I’m getting better each day and I’m gonna continue to do so.”
Aside from Price, redshirt junior tailback JJ Branham has been getting plenty of reps. Throughout training camp, Branham had turned short passes from Shrader and Del Rio-Wilson into long touchdowns, using his speed to breeze past some offensive coaches who served as defenders during drills. Branham comes from Blinn College, a public junior college in east Texas, and ran for 648 yards and seven touchdowns.
Other notable backs who have become featured frequently in drills have been freshman Ike Daniels and sophomore Deston Hawkins.
Still, Price remains the No. 1 back at the moment. During interviews with the media, Price has even started to manifest himself being one of the key players in the running back room. He answered multiple questions with “LeQuint and I,” saying that he’ll keep working and taking reps.
“That’s the mindset I built,” Price said. “…I’m saying me and LeQuint because I know that no matter what, whoever goes in, is gonna do the job.”
Aug. 8
The one word that has been repeated the most among Syracuse’s offensive linemen and the position coaches has been “violence.” New offensive line coach Steve Farmer and his assistants have repeated the phrase, “Be violent!” multiple times during each training camp practice. Last week, SU head coach Dino Babers said the first day of camp was a chance for new position coaches like Farmer to put their personality on their respective position groups.
“That’s important as an assistant coach, it’s also important as a coordinator,” Babers said on Aug. 2. “They were excited and moving around with energy and loud voices. So I think that’s okay.”
Farmer has displayed an aggressive attitude and personality to a unit that was in need of a new voice after former offensive line coach Mike Schmidt left for Mississippi State. Syracuse’s newest position coach has spent nine seasons as an offensive coordinator and has worked at schools like Texas Tech, Utah State and most recently Tulsa.
Farmer routinely has spent training camp in a crouched position, donning an all-blue attire with orange shoes and led the unit in a sprint each time they moved from part of the field to the other. He can routinely be founded in a crouched position, usually shouting at his players with phrases like “Play with your heads low!”, “Make him work!”, “Quit doing sh*tty reps.”
From new linemen like Joe Cruz to experienced players like Josh Ilaoa, Farmer would chastise any player that would make any mistakes. He would teach the linemen what to with their hands and hips. Once they started to have better technique, specifically when the offensive linemen matched up against SU’s defensive linemen, Farmer would start to praise them.
“Now we’re playing football,” Farmer exclaimed.
The intensity that Farmer had established when the offensive linemen would try to out-block the other started to seep its way to the linemen themselves. Once a rep was over, some of the o-linemen still pushed and shoved each other. Jakob Bradford and Enrique Cruz Jr. went after each other multiple times, trying to get the edge on the other.
Pro Football Focus graded Orange’s o-line as the fourth-best pass blocking team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but eighth-best in run blocking. In the offseason, Syracuse lost starters Matthew Bergeron (picked 38th by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2023 NFL draft), Carlos Vettorello and Dakota Davis. SU picked up transfers like David Wohlabaugh Jr. from Kentucky and Joe More from Richmond, while also signing community college players like J’Onre Reed.
Reed came from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas and has the nickname, “Big General.” But Babers said that Reed has to play a bunch of games before he can have a nickname. Reed comes in as a candidate for the center position following the Vettorello’s departure.
In one of the last drill during the media viewing period, the o-line still faced critiques from Farmer, but also saw some success when they gave running back JJ Branham an opening for a long touchdown.
“I think those guys are coming out and playing with the right effort,” Babers said. “But once again, we’re gonna have to have some flexibility in that thing and coach Farmer is doing a nice job of moving those interior guys around to build the depth once again.”
Aug. 4
New defensive coordinator Rocky Long usually stood by himself while watching Syracuse’s defense during the fourth day of training camp. Both he and head coach Babers preferred standing in solitude, watching over the team. Long donned a bright orange shirt and shorts and let the various defensive position coaches lead their groups. But Long still inserted his input and personality, especially during the 11-on-11 period of practice, where the offense, wearing orange, matched up against the defense, wearing white.
The 11-on-11 period saw success for both the Orange’s offense and defense. When quarterback Garrett Shrader faced pressure from the defensive linemen, he found a gap and scrambled. Shrader accelerated and dodged every SU defender for roughly a 70-yard rushing touchdown. As the quarterback broke away, Long was left standing still and talking with defensive assistants about what happened. Linebacker Marlowe Wax, who was standing on the sidelines during the play, asked his teammates “What was the play?”
“I think we played really well (with) a lot of energy from the first play,” Caleb Okechukwu said. “We’ll be honest with each other and let somebody know you need to go harder or pull back a little bit.”
Still, the defensive backs forced Shrader and fellow quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson into some interceptions. During the same 11-on-11 period, defensive back Justin Barron picked off Shrader after the quarterback felt some pressure. For Barron, this made up for the prior drill where defensive backs had to go one-on-one against receivers and running backs. On one play, Barron tightly covered Trebor Pena on an intermediate pass from Del Rio-Wilson. But even as Barron swarmed him, the receiver still came down with the ball.
“I try and guard the little guys as much as I can,” Barron said. “I’ll guard (Trebor) as often as I can just because of how quick and how fast he is. It forces me to get better.”
Alijah Clark found Long to be a fun person and not as uptight as people think. Clark has seen Long joke most of practice and has rarely seen the 73-year old defensive coordinator be serious. Even as the morning practices came to an end, Long chatted and joked with Okechukwu and other defensive linemen.
Okechukwu said Long has mainly focused on conditioning through the opening week of camp. The linemen continued, saying there has been emphasis on running to the ball harder. Many of the drills for the defenders featured players tackling the pop-up dummies. As players’ grunts started to get louder as the temperature rose, some on the Orange shoved the dummies to the ground instead of just hitting them.
Long, the architect of the 3-3-5 defense, joined a program that has utilized the formation since 2020. Linebackers like Wax have loved to play in that specific defense because of the versatility it provides him. Even though Wax wasn’t much of a pass rusher in high school, he has moved into a role where he can position himself at the line or in coverage.
The linebacker lined up against Juwaun Price, with quarterback Braden Davis throwing passes. On some plays, Price used quick footwork to get a step ahead of Wax. On others, Wax would stay tight on Price, and Davis’ passes to the sidelines would fly over both of their heads. Okechukwu said finishing plays harder and longer was also critical for Long, especially with heightened expectations for a unit that allowed the sixth fewest points per game in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“In the spring he was getting to know us,” Okechukwu said of Long. “But now he has like an expectation because at the end of the day, we want to win games and that’s what he’s about. So it’s been fun learning from him over the last six months.”
Aug. 2
Nearing the end of his time speaking with the media, Garrett Shrader paused before giving his opinion on where Syracuse football will end up in December.
“This team will be bowl eligible,” Shrader said. “It’s just now (figuring out) what else can we do to win those close games.”
Shrader said that the talent on the Orange’s roster is better than that of the past two seasons, where Syracuse went 12-13 and lost to Minnesota 28-20 in the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl.
SU head coach Dino Babers ended his first press conference of the 2023 season yesterday with an update on Shrader. He said that the quarterback would be “put on a pitch count” for the opening day of training camp. Shrader, who is starting his third year with the Orange, missed spring practices in March after a procedure on his right elbow.
As songs like “7sixers” by Veeze and “DIE DIE” by Trippie Redd and LUCKI blared at the practice field, Shrader’s pitch count was in full effect. While he wore a white sleeve that the quarterback jokingly said was for “aesthetics,” Shrader threw short and intermediate spirals mainly to running backs Price and freshman Ike Daniels. Shrader also pitched the ball to other tailbacks, including Branham. But as the media viewing period moved along, he went through many of the motions of offensive plays, specifically deep passes to receivers, but never actually released the ball.
That doesn’t mean Shrader didn’t practice the deep ball, though. He attempted a long throw down the right side to Damien Alford, who couldn’t pull in the wobbly pass. On another play, receiver Umari Hatcher cut back to catch a low pass from the quarterback.
When Shrader wasn’t throwing the ball around the field, he was chatting with various Syracuse football staffers and trainers. The quarterback led many of the sprints as the offense transitioned to different parts of the practice field. While Babers said Shrader was sore, everything was OK functionally. The coaching staff, the head coach said, is happy with where their starting quarterback is currently at.
“He’s really smart,” Babers said. “And he’s aggressive. But he’s smart. I think he understands that this is good for him and it’s good for the other guys, too.”
Along with the Babers, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson got plenty of reps, slinging intermediate passes to redshirt freshman receiver Donovan Brown and quarterback-turned-tight-end Dan Villari. Del Rio-Wilson threw to Brown toward the middle of the field, but Brown dropped it once he faced contact from the defensive backs.
Even though Del Rio-Wilson and South Carolina transfer Davis got throws in, Shrader got the first-team reps. This upcoming season will be the first time in Shrader’s collegiate career that he will have the same offensive system for multiple seasons. Shrader said that he’s able to see the game how new offensive coordinator Jason Beck sees it because of the coach’s time last year as the quarterbacks coach.
“When (Beck) puts something in and he’s installing something, we get the firsthand of why we’re doing what we’re doing versus him being a middleman,” Shrader said.
Yesterday, Babers said that Syracuse’s 2023 offensive coaching staff is the “the strongest offensive staff we’ve had” during his eight-year tenure with the program. Shrader agreed with the head coach’s assessment, noting the charisma and excitement the coaches bring each day. While working with the offensive linemen, new offensive line coach Farmer would crouch down and yell things phrases like “Be violent!” or “Bring it back! Let’s go!”
“It’s opening day for them too,” Babers said of the new coaches. “This is their first opportunity to put their personality or their impression on their group.”
Babers, donning an all-blue Syracuse outfit and a dark blue sun hat, loomed over the practice. He moved around the field, chatting with associates and journalists while also occasionally loudly telling the receivers to move more to the outside on certain plays. Shrader said that Babers has changed his demeanor over the quarterback’s three seasons.
“He’s been a lot more hands off and just kind of letting the coordinators do their thing,” Shrader said. “And he’s still there, the receivers are still his babies. So he loves to coach them up all the time.”
